"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14).

Where are we headed in life?  What is our ultimate purpose in life?  Paul said, that he was pressing toward the mark or the goal to the the high calling or upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).  Paul immediately declares, "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you" (Phil. 3:15).  Paul's declaration summary states that this is the thinking of mature minded Christians.  Paul let us know that if we think otherwise, God will need to reveal it to us.  Brothers and sisters this is our ultimate purpose in life, to genuinely let Christ live in and through us, fulfilling the Father's will in us-for-others and for Himself.  You will not be able to reach this goal, nor even easily recognize this goal, without serious revelation and mature mind renewal of the Holy Spirit.  Paul stated that we need to ever let this mind be in you which ever is in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).  This is the way of expression with the Son in our shared life together.  This is the way of fellowship with our Father.  This is the way the Son together with us is loving, living, and meeting the needs of others through us.  This is pressing toward the mark!

With a Holy Spirit renewed mature mind we won't have pride or think we are somebody or have attained a finish in the middle of the race of life.  Paul said, "I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Phil. 3:12).  As we are pressing toward the mark, we don't look back.  When you look back, you will be distracted and not focused on where you are really going, and that is forward.  Paul's personal testimony was that he may not fully understand all things, but for sure "one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and  reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13-14).

What are Paul's basic indicators of this mature mind as we are pressing toward the mark.  We "worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil.  3:3).  We count all things loss for Christ (Phil 3:7).  We want to be found in our shared life in Him and His righteousness through faith (Phil. 3:9).  We want a deeper knowledge of Christ, in His resurrection life in us, letting Him express Himself through us to the fullest degree until death (Phil 3:10). This is genuine pressing toward the mark! V